Visible filing unit



. April 1940- V c. w. STRAUBEL 2,195,943

VISIBLE FILING UNIT Filed NOV. 1, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I SNMHWQN E k S 3.? E m b g xx J.

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c. w. s'rRAUBEL VISIBLE FILING UNI'] Filed Nov. 1, 1938 3 SheetsSheet 2 April 2, 1940.

April c. w. s'rRAuBEL VISIBLE FILING UNIT Filed Nov. 1, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 Cldre nae Wfitra Label,

Patented Apr. 2, 1940 PATENT osrlcs VISIBLE FILING UNIT Clarence W. Straubel, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Acme Visible Records, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 1, 1938, Serial No. 238,267

12 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in visible card-filing units, and more particularly to novel structural features which protect the cards when in use in orout of the filing drawer to assist in their preservation; provide increased record capacity; and which is also of special utility in combination with cards hingedly connected to the carrier strip.

One of the objects of the invention is to carry forward the essential and practical features of the inventions set forth in Straubel Patents Nos. 2,093,941, dated September 21, 1937, and 2,101,963 dated December 14, 1937, in such a way as to obtain additional advantages therefrom when in use, and increase and improve the range of application and utility of the devices shown in these patents. Devices of the type shown in the patents referred to, include a card carrier strip and an elevator at the bottom of the strip for supporting the cards at any selected location or elevation thereon, the cards themselves being slidably interlocked with the edges of the strip so as to be removable singly or in groups.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the combined use of hinged cards and a guard plate including hinged compressor leaf forming a part of a device for masking and shielding or protecting the cards and which also prevents the hinged cards from falling forward when the device is removed from the storage drawer. In that connection, so faras the cards are concerned, it is proposed to locate the hinging perforation or score line at the base of a series of die cuts which provide, first, the necessary tongues at the medial portion of the card for engaging the carrier strip, and second, other card supporting tongues near the ends of the card for supporting the lower edge of a superimposed card. Thus, when the cards are supported one by another there is provided between the cards, a plurality of pockets which may receive old cards not equipped to adjustably engage the carrier strip, or other data cards to increase the writing or recording area for each individual card, or even receive photographs intended to be associated with the data on the particular card. Also, the guard plate or hinged compressor leaf being adjustable on the card carrier strip, and supporting the bottom edge of the lowermost card of the stack, contributes materially to supporting all of the cards so that they will not tilt sidewise, and, at the same time, assist in maintaining the general orderliness of the records due to the compressing and protectin features.

A further object of the invention is to provide means cooperating with the carrier strip and the uppermost card of the stack to prevent the cards from riding up on the carrier strip. It will, of course, be understoodthat the lowermost card of the stack is supported on the elevator or on the base of the guard plate which in turn may be supported by the elevator. However, in handling the cards in the storage drawer or compartment, there is a tendency for the cards to work upwardly on the strip particularly if the pockets formed between the individual cards hold other filing material. Therefore, the purpose of the means referred to is to hold all of the cards compactly downward, that is toward the lower end of the strip'while in use, but, at the same time, not interfering with the removal of any desired card or groups of cards when the occasion demands.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying the present improvements,

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 with the panel omitted.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspectiveview of one of the hinged cards illustrating the application of the keeper means for preventing the cards from riding up on the strip.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the guard plate.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the card keeper.

Figures 7 and 8 are respectively front and side elevations of a modified form of guard plate.

In accordance with the patents referred to the device includes in its organization a suitable panel A provided with an opening A for receiving the spring tongue of the hanger portion of the card carrier strip C when the latter. is suspended from the panel. As will be observed from Figure 2 the card carrier strip is provided with a plurality of openings C and C which provide adjustment stations for an elevator D which is slidably interlocked with the strip 50- as to support the stack of cards more or less near the top of the strip when relatively few cards are mounted thereon. These features are enhanced by the use of a novel type of hinged card E operating in conjunction with a guard plate designated generally as F, and a card keeper device G.

Referring first to the cards IE, it may be observed that the same are provided adjacent their bottom edge with a score line i which provides a hingingline between the upper and lower portion of the cards to permit the upper portion to be swung forwardly relative to the bottom. Each card is also provided with the spaced intermediate tongues 22 for slidably engaging the edges of the card strip, and is also provided near the ends thereof with the card supporting tongues 3-42. All of the tongues 2 and 3 have their base portions located in the line of the hinging axis or score line i. 'lhus, when the tongues 2-2 are engaged with the carrier strip and the tongues are left free to assume substantially the normal plane of the bottom of the card, the upper "t of the card can move forward and a con- :ous line of support will be afiorded at the line of the hinge or joint for supporting the bottom edge of the next card above.

The guard plate F includes a base portion 4 .end a leaf 5 hinged thereto as indicated at 6.

Preferably, the leaf 5 is tensioned relative to the base by cl: spritu s '5 which will. have a tendency to urge the leaf in a direction to compress the cards mounted on the carrier. The bottom edge of the 4 of the guaretl. plate is adapted to rest in the elevator D, and the intermediate portion of the guard plate is provided with the rearwardly extending and inwardly projecting lugs or extrusions 8-8 for slidably embracing the opposite side edges of the strip C. so as to be movable or adjustable thereon together with the elevator D. Also, the base 4 is provided with a plurality of ofiset portions in the iorm of upwardly directed lugs or extrusions E) at the rear face thereof for supporting the bottom edge of a card. The tongues 3 of the individual cards E and the offsets 9 in the base of he guard plate are vertically aligned so that all of the cards E on the carrier strip are supported n ar their outer edges, that is beyond the middle, to guard against sidewise tilting of the cards.

The use of hinged cards and a hinged guard plate per: of accurately stacking the cards on the carrier and at the same time enables them to be readily pulled forward for examination without bending in such a way as to rupture or break the cards while at the same time the space between the cards provides in effect a pocket for receiving an insert data card, photograph or the like, indicated as a: (in dotted lines) in Figure 1. Thus, old cards or cards not equipped with tongues for engaging the carrier strip may supported in the space or pockets provided between the cards engaged with the carrier. It will also be observed that the upper edge of each of the cards E is provided with a notch 1 which exposes the data card or other member arranged between the cards interlocked with the strip.

A modification of the l!" '1 "M31 is shown in Fl; as 'Z and 8 of the drawings wherein the cornprW-sor leaf 5 is hingedly connected directly with the front wall of the elevator D'. As will be ob- .from the drawin the elevator l3 r-- cludes a body of substantially U-shaped formation in cross section to provide upwardly extending front and rear legs, the rear leg having means for adjustably engaging the carrier strip while the upturned front leg which forms a channel or socket in which the lowermost card of the stack rests, hingedly carries the compressor leaf 5. The front wall 4 of the elevator has its upper edge drawn into a hollow bead to provide hinge knuckles for cooperation with mating knuckles formed at the bottom edge of the leaf. A pintle is placed in the mating knuckles and the compressor leaf is urged rearwardly under the tension of the springs 1.

Another distinctive feature of the invention resides in providing keeper means for preventing cards mounted on the carrier strip from riding upwardly thereon. This means, designated generally as G, is preferably in the form of a substantially T-sheped piece of fiat material including a wedge-shaped shank portion and a head or cross portion ll whose bottom edges i2 are intended to engage the tongues 22 of the card on the stack when the wedgeshaped shank piece I 0 is slid downwardly between the tongues and against the carrier strip. The keeper means G is, of course, readily insertable and removable between the tongues of the several cards to provide increased friction between the tongues 2-2 and the carrier strip to resist upward the head stantial transverse abutment which engages the tongues 3" to assist in keeping the stack of cards downwardly on the carrier, particularly when the spaces or pockets between the master cards are somewhat packed or bulged with addi tional inserts or other material.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that pr sent impl'ovc-znerats iiot only provide for the efficient and orderly use of record cards interlocked with the carrier strip, but, also, for the filing of old cards. the in per] cards as a pocket in trout or in back of which the old card is inserted. Moreover, for machine posted records Where the insert is held by the pocket, the insert may be removed quickly without detaching a card from the carrier strip. When used for hand postin the insert cards may be removed iridividi y for hand posting on a desk or table without removal of the panel from the drawer or other compartment. Likewise, the pockets between the cards may hold pre-punched cards of the type used in tabulating machines. All of these features contribute to capacity and compactness in a minimum of space.

In addition to the foregoing features, the ariangeinent iii ed cards in conned-ion with the hinged card plate provides for offsetting the upper identification edges of the insert cards relai w: to the upper ed the master cards so that they are readily accessible.

I claim:

1. In a visible card filing device including a card carrier strip and a card elevator adjustably connected with the strip, the combination with a plurality of cards stacked on said strip, of a hinged spring tensioned card compressor leaf supported by said elevator and adjustable therewith on the car ip. said leaf tending to press the cards toward the strip and forming a pocket for the lowermost card.

2. In a visible card filing device including a card carrier strip and a card elevator adjustably connected with the strip, the combination with a plurality of cards stacked on said strip, of a guard plate supported on said elevator and adjustably engaged with the strip, said guard plate including a hinged card masking leaf cooperatvide a pocket for receiving an insert card.-

3. In a visible card filing device including a card carrier strip and a card elevator adjustably connected with the strip, the combination with a plurality of cards stacked on said strip, of a guard plate supported on said elevator and ad- 'justably engaged with the strip, said guard plate including a hinged spring tensioned compressor leaf cooperating with the lowermost card of the stack to-hold all of the cards on the strip in proper relation thereto and also provide a pocke for receiving an insert card.

4. In a visible card filing device including a card carrier strip and a card elevator adjustably connected with the strip, the combination with aplurality of cards stacked on said strip, of means for preventing the cards riding up on the strip, said means including a substantially T-shaped member having its shank inserteble between the strip and the cards and having its head portion engaging the uppermost card of the stack.

5. In a visible card filing device including a card carrier strip and a card elevator adjustably connected with the strip, the combination comprising a guard plate comprising a base having means for slidably engaging the edges of the I strip and having its lower edge adapted tov rest in said elevator, a plurality of card supporting lugs on the rear face of said base near the ends for supporting the lower edge of a record card engaged with the carrier, a card compressor leaf hinged to said base; a plurality of cards scored for hinging near their lower edges and having inwardlyfacing strip engaging tongues for slidably embracing the edges of the card carrier strip and also having card supporting tongues near opposite endsthereof, all of said-tongues havingtheirbaseedges defined by said hinging score line to permit free forward hinging of the cards and also to permit the hinged cards to provide a pocket for a loose insert card,.and all of said card supporting tongues and the offset parts on said base being in vertical alignment to hold the cards against sidewise tilting; and means insertable between the card carrier strip and the strip engaging tongues of the uppermost card of the stack to prevent'all of the cards riding up on the strip.

6. In a visible card filing device including a card carrier strip and a card elevator adjustably connected with the strip, the combination comprising, a guard plate comprising a base having means for slidably engaging the edges of the s rip and having its lower edge adapted to rest in said elevator, a plurality of card supporting lugs on the rear face of said base near the ends for supporting the lower edge of a record card engaged with the carrier, a card compressor leaf hinged to said base; a plurality of cards scored for hinging near their lower edges and having inwardly facing strip engaging tongues for slidably embracing the edges of the card carrier strip and also having card supporting tongues near opposite ends thereof, all of said tongues having their base edges defined by said hinging score line to permit free forward hinging of the cards and also to permit the hinged cards to provide a g S pocket for a loose insert card, and all of said card supporting tongues and the offset parts on said base being in vertical alignment to hold the cards against sidewise tilting; and a T-shaped portion bearing against the strip engaging tongues of the uppermost card of the stack to prevent all of the cards riding up on said strip.

'7. In a visible card filing device including a narrow elongated carrier strip, and a card elevator extending beyond opposite sides of the strip and having its medial portion adjustably engaged with the strip, the combination with a group of cards slidably mounted on said strip in overlapping relation, of compressor leaf means mounted on said elevator and cooperating therewith to provide a pocket for said group of cards and tending to compress the same against the strip.

8. In a visible card filing device, the combination with a narrow elongated card carrier strip having a channel portion, of elevator and compressor means adjustable on the strip to support the lowermost cardof a group of cards mounted on said carrier strip and means cooperating with the channel portion of the strip and the upper card of the group of cards on the strip for holding all of thecards in compact relation and preventing the cards riding up on the'strip.

9. In a visible card filing device, the combination with a narrow elongated carrier strip havinga channel portion, of elevator and compressor means adjustable on the strip to support the lowermost card of a group of cards mounted on said strip, and means insertable in the channel portion of the stripand having a portion for engaging the uppermost card of the group of cards. to prevent-said. group from riding up on the strip.

10.'A visible card filing device, including the combination with a card carrier strip, of a card elevator adjustable onthe strip and having a "card compressor leaf hinged thereto, said elevator being adapted to support the lowermost card of the group and the said leaf tending to press the group of cards toward the strip.

11. A visible card filing device including thecombination with a card carrier strip, of a card elevator adjustable on the strip and having a compressor leaf, said elevator being adapted to support. the lowermost card of the group and the said leaf tending to press the group of card toward the strip.

CLARENCE W. S'IRAUBEL. I 

